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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
A amazing classic. This book shows you the inside life of mice and the tech-savvy rats of NIMH.
no romance.
no lgbt.
no offensive language/curse words/profanity.
just mice and rats co-existing. i didn't finish, though. i got about 80% through before i started to get bored. good book, nonetheless.
no lgbt.
no offensive language/curse words/profanity.
just mice and rats co-existing. i didn't finish, though. i got about 80% through before i started to get bored. good book, nonetheless.
I read this at the behest of my eleven year-old daughter.
And I'm glad I did. It's a terrific story, and a marvelous book for getting young readers into the game.
And I'm glad I did. It's a terrific story, and a marvelous book for getting young readers into the game.
adventurous
medium-paced
Just read this book with my four-year-old son. It's hard to know what percentage he understood, but as long as he is still interested and asks me to read another chapter then I keep going and don't worry too much about comprehension since I figure it develops by reading and discussing. He was even more motivated to read it when we picked up the movie (The Secret of NIMH) from the library and I told him we could watch it after we finished reading the book.
I know I've read the book before, but I didn't remember it very well. I also know I loved the movie as a kid (and I think I was exposed to the movie first), but as an adult I much preferred the book to the movie, especially watching it with my four-year-old.
Comparisons:
1. The book was really all about science and the movie had magical elements that seemed totally unnecessary to the story. -- The glowing eyes on Nicodemus and the owl: SO CREEPY! (My son asked me at the beginning if Nicodemus was a bad guy.) The swirly ink at the beginning: cool but pointless.
2. The movie was a lot scarier in places where I didn't feel the need for extra drama: it was okay with me that Jenner never actually makes an appearance in the book, and it was okay with me that the scientists and NIMH weren't made out to be cruel. Even Mr. Ages was so much more pleasant in the book; I don't know why they made him such a grouch in the movie. I think in general the pace of the book is sort of slow, so I suppose that's why they threw in the extra conflicts, but I think they could have been truer to the book and still made a good (better even) movie.
3. In the book, I liked that while the rats were being injected with drugs, they were also being taught while in the laboratory and it wasn't just a spontaneous thing that they could read. And then I liked that they had a season of library study to help give them the knowledge that they had.
4. One bonus for the movie was that I love that Mrs. Frisby gets herself out of the bird cage in the movie. I mean, I love Justin and it's lovely that he comes to rescue her in the book since there isn't a way for her to escape, but I remembered that scene before watching it this time and I remember how clever and brave I thought she was when she got out.
I know I've read the book before, but I didn't remember it very well. I also know I loved the movie as a kid (and I think I was exposed to the movie first), but as an adult I much preferred the book to the movie, especially watching it with my four-year-old.
Comparisons:
1. The book was really all about science and the movie had magical elements that seemed totally unnecessary to the story. -- The glowing eyes on Nicodemus and the owl: SO CREEPY! (My son asked me at the beginning if Nicodemus was a bad guy.) The swirly ink at the beginning: cool but pointless.
2. The movie was a lot scarier in places where I didn't feel the need for extra drama: it was okay with me that Jenner never actually makes an appearance in the book, and it was okay with me that the scientists and NIMH weren't made out to be cruel. Even Mr. Ages was so much more pleasant in the book; I don't know why they made him such a grouch in the movie. I think in general the pace of the book is sort of slow, so I suppose that's why they threw in the extra conflicts, but I think they could have been truer to the book and still made a good (better even) movie.
3. In the book, I liked that while the rats were being injected with drugs, they were also being taught while in the laboratory and it wasn't just a spontaneous thing that they could read. And then I liked that they had a season of library study to help give them the knowledge that they had.
4. One bonus for the movie was that I love that Mrs. Frisby gets herself out of the bird cage in the movie. I mean, I love Justin and it's lovely that he comes to rescue her in the book since there isn't a way for her to escape, but I remembered that scene before watching it this time and I remember how clever and brave I thought she was when she got out.
This is one of the books that I read and read over and over again throughout my childhood. I saw the cover in a bookshop and it took me back and I had to have it. It is the story of Mrs. Frisby, a field mouse, who lives with her family in a cinder block in a field on a farm. Her young son, Timothy, falls ill and she is forced to turn to a nearby rat colony for assistance. Little does she know these are no ordinary rats. This is a book you can read over and over again. It is a chapter book, but for older children, probably around age 10-12. There are some complicated issues in this book that went completely over my head when I was reading this as a child. It is a good book though.
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not sure how I made it this far into life without reading this book. Such a delight!
Still a good story when rereading as an adult. It does seem to end rather abruptly.